Came across this while watching Crash Course Big History, and now I’m interested. But most stuff on google requires a great deal of prior understanding of the subject. Could someone explain this for me like I’m five? Thanks
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The other answer is somewhat correct but far from an ELI5, so here’s one.
The Hobbes/Rosseau debate isn’t really an ongoing debate in philosophy, but here’s the gist of it:
Hobbes believed that human beings were naturally selfish and calculating, something like, “ONLY I MATTER!” while Rousseau believed human beings to be naturally sociable and kind to each other.
For this reason, in the state of Nature, Hobbes believed human beings would live in a state of perpetual war, where the weak fear the strong for their strength, but the strong also fear the weak because they know the weak will organize to increase their strength against the strong. On the other hand, Rosseau believed everyone would help each other and live in community.
The State, i.e., Government, appears for Hobbes as a sort of truce. People give up their freedom to do as they please (i.e., attack others) so that others also lose this freedom (i.e., to gain safety). For Rosseau, the State appears as a reflection of greed — the State exists in order for people to lay claim to objects (i.e., property) in a way that others can’t contest it.
Short version:
Hobbes = human bad and selfish — Human + State = bad and Selfish but unable to act bad and selfish.
Rousseau = human kind and social — Human + State = rich human live better, poor human, well, that’s their problem.
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